Michigan Labor Strike Against Right to Work

Pro-worker" politicians often oppose worker rights. Michigan Democrats plan to use their legislative majority to force tens of thousands of workers to rejoin their unions.

Right to work lets workers choose union membership. On Thursday, two state House proposals would eliminate this provision. Michigan has been a right-to-work state since Republicans passed the law in December 2012. After Democrats won a majority in November, state House leaders pledged to repeal and implement the law quickly.

Bridge Michigan reported that the five largest private unions gave over 95% of their campaign contributions to Democrats. Repealing the law would reward Big Labor. Since thousands of members have left labor unions, eliminating the right to work is a top priority. Ten years after Michigan Republicans repealed mandatory union dues, private union membership has dropped by 20%. Over 60,000 workers.

State Republicans fought right to work. Michigan ranked second in unionization in 2000. 2012 voters rejected a constitutional amendment banning the right to work by 57%. Snyder enacted GOP right-to-work a month later.

The state will fund repeal because the right to work attracts businesses. In 2022, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy examined Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio county labor markets. Only Ohio is non-right-to-work. Right to work increased Michigan manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing employment by 26%, 30%, and 42.5%. Labor-friendly areas attract these industries.

Michiganders favor the right to work due to the pattern. Target Point Consulting polled 58% for the right to work and 29% against this month. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's voters prefer right to work 46% to 40%.

Right to work threatens Lansing Democrats' union power. After a November abortion referendum, Ms. Whitmer and her supporters took control of the statehouse for the first time in almost 40 years. However, right-to-work repeal may hurt Democrats in battleground districts like Kent and Macomb counties.

Progressives prefer union gifts to political risk. Union dues fund Democrats regardless of employee preference. Employees cannot be represented by a forced movement.

“Workers’ Rights” should be a universally raised topic, human rights activists and government should take care of it!